Rail-joint.



anion;

RAIL-JOINT.

Application led November 10, 1917.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS JAMEs LEAHEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the town of St. J'yohn, Province of New Brunswick, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is the speciication. v

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints and particularly refers to the means whereby tapered split cotters utilized in securing pins passing through angle bars or fish plates are spread during the operation of driving the cotters into position so automatically securing the cotters in position. Heretofore in using split cotters, it has been found essential to` manually spread the point after the cotter has been positioned and the objects of the present invention are to overcome this drawback and thus save considerable time in assembling or disassembling a rail joint, to permit of the cotter spreading device being utilized with the usual angle bars or fish plates at present in use, to provide means for taking up slackness in the pins when necessary, and generally to adapt the several parts to better perform the functions required of them.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists essentially of the improved construction particularly described and set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same. f

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a-rail joint embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the split cotter. i

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a washer.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a plate carrying the cotter spreading device.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A. represents a pair of rails which are abutting to form a rail jointand are secured in operative position by the angle bars 10 located along the lateral faces of the rails.

Orifices 12 are provided in the web of the rails and are designed to register with ori- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 201,369.

ices 11 formed in the angle bars through which orices pins 13 pass.

Each pin 13 is provided near the point with a cotter hole 1st with which the tapered split cotter 15 is adapted to engage, and so that time and labor may be saved in the assembly of the joint 1 provide means whereby the cotter 15 is spread during the operation of driving the same into position and this consists of a'plate 16 having an orifice 17 therethrough which engages with the pin 13 and in advance of the orifice 17 is a splitting wedge 18 carried by the said plate.

When the cotter 15 is being driven through the hole 14 the point of the cotter engages with the wedge 18 and is spread thereby. It is also advisable where chattering of the pins 13 takes place that the slackness can be readily taken up by a washer 19 which is designed to engage with the pin and is provided with a peripheral recess 20 which engages with the wedge 18 and prevents rotation of the washer.

In the embodiment illustrated it should be noted that the plate 16 is rectangular and fits snugly between the under face of the ball of the rail A and the lower flange of the angle bar 10 so'that movement of the plate 16 cannot take place, while the washer 19 is provided with a tongue 21 in which Vthe recess 20 is formed. This tongue of course may be dispensed with if the wedge 18 is kept suiiciently near to the orifice 17 to permit of an ordinary round washer 19 being used with the peripheral recess.

In assembling the rail joint the plates 10 are positioned and the pins 13 passed through the orifices 11 and 12 whereupon the plates 16 are positioned with the orifices 17 engaging the pins 13 and when required a washer 19 may be placed on any pin 13 in such a manner that the recess 20 engages I with the wedge 18.

The cotter 15 is now driven into the cotter hole 14C and when the point of the cotter engages with the wedge 18 it is spread thereby during the operation of driving the cotter and this completes the rail joint.

In taking the joint apart a blow is given to the head of the cotter which tends to force or drive the same out of the cotter hole 14 and during this operation the split end of the cotter closes and can thus be readily inserted in the cotter hole when reassembling the joint.

Under ordinary 'eir'enmstanees the VWasher 19 Will not be required but should any of the pins 13 bea little long the'differenee of length is taken Care ofbythe said Washer so that the tapered Cotter when driven into position Will pull the pin tightly against the angle bar andmake a solidjoint, so that the rails eannot become displaced or go ont of alinement. l y' f ,Fromthis description it will be seen that I have invented Va securing rmeans `for arail joint which can be v'advantag'eou'sly' utilized with fish plates and on the jointe at present in use, the several parts being of Van extremely simple nature, cheap .in eon'struetion and formed in such a vvay that by theirl ase a considerable 'saving oi time vand labor is aeeomplished in assembling or disassembling a rail joint.

' hand.

As many `changes conld be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of lmy invention within 'the scope of 'the ela-im, eenstijucted without departing 'from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matten contained in the aooompanyingspeeification and dra-Wings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in-a limiting sense.

Vhat l Claim as my invention is:

In a rail joint, aplatethfaving-atve'dge thereon, a bolt passing thri'nig'h"the plate having a slotted end, a vWasher having a peripheral recess engaging -with thelivedge and a split eotte'r passing througl'i vthe slot designed to be spread by the yvedge.

In witness whereof Ihave heeinto'set my Geniet ef tili-'s 'patent a'y be ebta'i'nd for i're eents ecl`1,b"y addressing the Cinxssfoner f intenti` Washington, D. C.

THoMAs JAMES nnAiinY-f l 

